3LBschicken thighsbone-in (about 8, skinless or with skin on)
1tbspolive oil
2tbspbbq rubor poultry seasoning
¼cupbbq sauce
For serving grilled chicken thighs
1tspcilantrofresh chopped (optional)
¼cupbbq sauce
Instructions
Prep chicken thighs for grilling. Lay out a large surface with a paper towel. Lay chicken thighs on top. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
Season chicken thighs. It’s better to transfer chicken thighs to a large baking dish or platter for this step, because if the chicken thighs are left on a paper towel, the paper towel will absorb the olive oil. Coat chicken thighs all over with olive oil. Then season chicken thighs all over with bbq rub or poultry seasoning. Massage in the chicken bbq rub with your hands for extra good BBQ grilling luck. Let the chicken rub set in and season the chicken for a half hour, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator if you have time.
Preheat gas grill to high, about 500 degrees F. (Note: In the video, you’ll see that on our large Weber gas grill, we light up 2 out of 3 burners, leaving one burner off so we can place chicken thighs there, over indirect heat – aka not directly over the flame – later to control the cooking process so the chicken thighs don’t burn… more on that in the next step!)
Grill chicken thighs directly over grill flames, skin side down (which means they have the bone side up), for 5 minutes with the grill lid closed. Flip chicken thighs and grill for 5 more minutes, directly over flame, with the grill lid closed.
Transfer chicken thighs to indirect heat (an area of the grill without flames directly beneath it - like on a top rack if you have one, or to a side of the grill without burners lit). Keep them skin side up for this step. Grill for about 10 more minutes, with the lid closed, with indirect heat, until chicken thighs reach about 150 degrees F, measured with an internal read thermometer.
Brush bbq sauce on chicken thighs once they reach 150 degrees F. Then close the lid and continue grilling chicken thighs with indirect heat.
Finish grilling chicken thighs. Until they reach the “remove chicken thighs from grill temperature” of 165 degrees F. Measure this with an internal read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, not touching the bone. It’s important to measure the temperature for each one, as some may finish faster than others based on their size and placement on the grill.
Rest 5-10 minutes and enjoy. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and add a drizzle of BBQ sauce for serving if desired.